Heroic Soldiers Stop Armed Attacker at Georgia Army Base

FORT STEWART, Ga. – A group of six soldiers stationed at a Georgia Army base is being celebrated as heroes after they subdued an armed attacker accused of shooting five fellow soldiers and then provided medical assistance to their injured comrades.

Sgt. Quornelius Radford, 28, allegedly used a personal firearm to wound five soldiers on Wednesday at Fort Stewart, one of America’s largest Army installations, before quick-thinking troops apprehended him, authorities reported.

“The prompt and courageous actions of these soldiers, despite the chaos and danger, undoubtedly saved lives,” stated Army Secretary Dan Driscoll during a Thursday morning press conference.

“One soldier bravely tackled the gunman, putting themselves at risk to stop someone they knew was shooting at their friends and fellow soldiers,” Driscoll explained. “Another soldier joined in to restrain the attacker until federal authorities could take over,” he added.

Authorities say Radford opened fire on a part of the base where he worked, but officials would not speculate about a motive.

The injured were taken to the hospital and three underwent surgery, officials said.

According to Brig Gen. John Lubas, the wounded soldiers are in stable condition and are expected to recover. Lubas, who leads the 3rd Infantry Division, credited the soldiers’ swift actions with helping to secure Radford’s capture.

This incident highlights concerns about the safety and security standards at U.S. military bases, locations that are considered among the nation’s most secure facilities.

There were still many unanswered questions about the shooting.

Army records released to The Associated Press show Radford enlisted in January 2018. He worked as a supply sergeant and has not been deployed.

Radford faced an Aug. 20 hearing in Hinesville, a small town near the base, on accusations of driving under the influence and running a red light just after 1 a.m. on May 18, according to a citation and court filing. He was given a blood test and freed on a $1,818 bond, the documents said.

A telephone number listed for Radford in public records rang unanswered.

Attorney Sneh Patel is representing Radford in the traffic case but not the shooting as of Wednesday, he said in an email. He cited attorney-client privilege in declining to comment about any his conversations with Radford.

Law enforcement was sent to the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team complex shortly before 11 a.m. The suspect was arrested at 11:35 a.m., officials said.

A lockdown lasted about an hour. After it was lifted, cars began to move through the normal security checkpoint at the fort’s main gate.

The Army’s 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team was created in 2016 when the service added more than 200 vehicles to an infantry unit of roughly 4,200 soldiers. Also known as the “Spartan Brigade,” the Army has called the unit its “most modern land fighting force.”

Located about 40 miles (64 kilometers) southwest of Savannah, Fort Stewart is the largest Army post east of the Mississippi River by land area. It’s home to thousands of soldiers assigned to the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division and family members.

President Donald Trump called the shooter a “horrible person” in comments to reporters at the White House.

The FBI was at the fort to help investigate, said Deputy Director Dan Bongino.

Among the deadliest acts of violence on U.S. military bases was a 2009 attack. A U.S. Army psychiatrist killed 13 people in a shooting that left more than 30 wounded at Fort Hood, a military installation in Texas.

In 2013, a defense contract worker and former Navy reservist killed 12 people at Washington Navy Yard. He was then killed in a gun battle with police.

In 2014, a soldier opened fire on his fellow service members at Fort Hood, killing three people and wounding more than a dozen others before the gunman killed himself.

In 2019, an aviation student opened fire in a classroom at Naval Air Station Pensacola in Florida, killing three people and injuring another dozen people including two sheriff’s deputies. Just days earlier, a U.S. Navy sailor shot two people to death before killing himself at Pearl Harbor, the Naval station in Hawaii.

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Martin reported from Atlanta.